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The differences between operations support technicians and computer support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an operations support technician and a computer support specialist. Additionally, a computer support specialist has an average salary of $63,926, which is higher than the $38,086 average annual salary of an operations support technician.
The top three skills for an operations support technician include operations support, technical support and data entry. The most important skills for a computer support specialist are computer support, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Operations Support Technician | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $38,086 | $63,926 |
| Hourly rate | $18.31 | $30.73 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 157,716 | 114,029 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An operations support technician primarily performs support tasks to assist teams in various duties and maintain smooth workflow operations. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their industry or company of employment, it usually includes performing research and analysis, monitoring stock inventories, replenishing supplies, preparing and processing documentation, conducting installation and repairs, and liaising with internal and external parties. In some situations, an operations support technician may also handle and assist clients by answering inquiries and resolving issues.
A Computer Support Specialist is responsible for providing the highest customer service for clients with technical and system issues, resolving network failures, and creating support tickets for IT personnel. Computer Support Specialists utilize various system tools and applications to diagnose end-users network issues and conduct immediate troubleshooting. They also help the IT staff design and improve system features and infrastructures and create instructional manuals for deliverables. A Computer Support Specialist must have excellent technical and communication skills to document customers' requests and identify system solutions.
Operations support technicians and computer support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operations Support Technician | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $38,086 | $63,926 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $58,000 | Between $44,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between an operations support technician and a computer support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Operations Support Technician | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between operations support technicians' and computer support specialists' demographics:
| Operations Support Technician | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2% | Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 11.5% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |